THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ON BRAND AWARENESS: THE CASE OF TECHNO MOBILE IN ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

This study examines the influence of social media marketing on brand awareness, focusing on Techno Mobile in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The rapid growth of digital platforms has transformed marketing strategies, making social media a critical tool for enhancing brand visibility and consumer engagement. Despite Techno Mobile's investments in social media marketing, there is limited empirical evidence on its effectiveness in the Ethiopian context. This research addresses this gap by analyzing key factors such as the frequency of social media marketing activities, user-generated content (UGC), platform selection, influencer marketing, and engagement metrics. A quantitative research approach was employed, utilizing structured questionnaires distributed to 365 respondents selected through stratified sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis. The findings revealed that the frequency of marketing activities, UGC, platform type, and influencer marketing significantly enhance brand awareness (p < 0.05), with platform selection showing the strongest correlation (r = 0.988). However, engagement metrics, while positively correlated, were not statistically significant (p = 0.084). The regression model explained 97.9% of the variance in brand awareness, underscoring the robustness of the predictors. The study concludes that Techno Mobile can optimize its social media strategies by prioritizing platform-specific content, encouraging UGC, and leveraging influencer partnerships. These insights contribute to both academic literature and practical marketing strategies, offering actionable recommendations for brands operating in competitive digital landscapes.